Help — isift.app

Getting started

Download the Apple silicon or Intel package for your Mac, open it, and drag iSift to the Applications folder.
Open the app and follow the setup wizard. It explains the available search methods and file permissions.
Configure Messages and Mail separately in Settings. Choose All, Messages or Mail inside the search bar.

Run the wizard again from Settings → Wizard. Reset to Defaults resets app preferences and opens the wizard; deleting an index is a separate action.

Search words and filters

The same word rules apply to Messages and Mail, with direct reading and encrypted indexes:

project invoice requires both whole words, in any order.
"project invoice" searches for that phrase.
auto* matches words such as automobil and automatic.
au*tic matches autentic and automatic. The star replaces zero or more characters inside one word.

Capitalization and diacritics do not change the match. A star alone does not return everything. Patterns starting with a star can be slower.

Use dates to narrow either source. Messages adds contact, direction, link and attachment filters. Mail adds From and To / Cc; the main search field searches subject or body. Address and name filters are separate from the wildcard word search.

All shows both sources side by side. Switching from All to a source keeps the words and results already obtained, when still valid. Search history keeps up to 100 recent entries; scroll the list or remove individual entries.

The help button immediately after the search field explains the rules for All, Messages and Mail.

Messages

iSift searches iMessage and SMS messages stored in Messages on this Mac. Messages held only in iCloud must be downloaded by Messages first.

Settings → Messages offers three methods:

Encrypted copy: create a local encrypted search index, then update it as your messages change. Full Disk Access is needed to read originals for copying, updates and attachments; searching the saved copy does not require reading the originals.
Read original directly: search without saving a message index. Large histories can be slow. File access is needed while searching, and results use date sorting.
Manual import from Terminal: copy the command shown in Settings → Messages and run it in Terminal. Terminal needs Full Disk Access for the import. Open the encrypted copy in iSift afterwards; run the command again to include later messages.

Results are grouped by conversation. Open a result to read surrounding messages. Open in Messages is available for direct conversations; it does not jump to a particular message.

Use ⌘F to focus search, ↑/↓ to move through results, ↩ to open context, and Esc to close it. ⌘, opens Settings.

The status bar shows access and the last update for each source. In All, Messages is on the left and Mail on the right. Each has its own Update button.

Apple Mail

Mail search reads downloaded Apple Mail messages on this Mac. Outlook-only mail, server-only messages, attachment contents and encrypted message bodies are not searched. Results open in Apple Mail when a usable message identifier is available.

Open Settings → Mail and choose Scan Email Accounts to refresh address suggestions.
Review the suggestions and tick Index beside the addresses you want included. Suggestions can be imperfect; the selection is yours.
Choose Direct or Encrypted Index. This method stays in Settings, keeping the search window simple.

Only emails matching checked addresses are included. These choices apply to direct search and indexing, across local folders. After changing choices, use Update or Continue Indexing to apply them to the saved index.

Direct reads local emails for each search without creating a Mail index. It can be very slow on large inboxes. Choosing it does not delete an existing index.

Encrypted Index searches an optimized local copy of readable email headers and text. It has its own Keychain key and is separate from the Messages index. Indexing needs disk space; attachments are not copied into it.

Both methods may need Full Disk Access to read protected Mail files. Neither uses Automation or connects to your email provider.

Mail index controls

Build Index: Creates the first encrypted Mail index for your selected addresses.
Update: Checks local files, reuses unchanged indexed messages, processes new or changed emails, and removes deleted entries. Available in the status bar and Settings → Mail.
Reindex: Rebuilds the index from zero and asks for confirmation. Use this for a full rebuild; use Update for normal changes. The previous snapshot is replaced only after a successful build.
Pause / Continue Indexing: Pauses and resumes work. Saved progress also survives closing the app; choose Continue Indexing after reopening.
Stop: Stops the current operation and keeps saved indexing progress and the last completed index.
Discard Saved Progress: Removes only the unfinished build. The last completed index remains.
Check Status: Reads saved index details and progress; it does not scan emails or build an index.
Delete Mail Index: After confirmation, removes the Mail index, saved progress and its key. Original emails and the Messages index remain.

Checked counts files examined, not emails rebuilt. Reused counts unchanged messages kept without decoding their bodies again. Update can still take time to verify a large collection.

Export Messages

Switch to Messages. The Export menu is disabled in All and Mail.
Choose Export Matching Messages… for the current search, Export All Messages… when no filters are active, or select a result and choose Export Conversation….
Review the message count and order. Matching export includes the full result set, not just rows already loaded on screen. Conversation export includes the entire selected conversation.
Optionally include attachments in a separate ZIP, then choose the destination folder.

The folder contains messages.txt with message text, dates, participants and attachment references. If selected, attachments.zip includes available files and a manifest connecting them to messages.

Missing or inaccessible attachments are reported as warnings. Files held only in iCloud are not downloaded by the export. Attachment ZIP export is unavailable in manual Terminal import mode.

Exported text and ZIP files are not encrypted by iSift. Anyone with access to the destination can read them. Nothing is uploaded. Replacing an existing export requires confirmation; cancelling before completion leaves that destination unchanged.

Permissions and privacy

Full Disk Access is a broad macOS permission for protected files, not a separate grant for each mailbox. Use the Open Full Disk Access button in Settings → Messages or Mail to open the macOS page. iSift reads originals without changing them.

Keychain stores the encryption keys. macOS may ask you to allow access; Always Allow avoids repeated prompts for that app. Losing a key makes its encrypted index unreadable.

Contacts is optional. Turn it on or off in Settings → Messages to show and search names. Turning it off in iSift stops using Contacts; revoke the macOS permission separately in system settings if desired.

The app never uploads messages, emails, contacts, attachments or searches. Indexes stay local. Search history and selected account addresses are stored in ordinary app preferences, not in the encrypted index.

App network requests support license checks, optional iCloud license verification and app updates. The website has a separate optional analytics choice. See the privacy policy for details.

Licenses and billing

Paddle handles subscription checkout, receipts and billing. After a confirmed payment, iSift sends the license key in a separate email. Enter it in Settings → License → Enter License.

Standalone: Use up to 2 activated Macs at once and 4 different Macs in a rolling 12 months. Closing the app does not deactivate a Mac. Reactivating the same Mac does not use another distinct-device allowance.
iCloud: Select Link to this iCloud account when activating. Up to 5 Macs can be active at once when verified on the same account; the rolling 12-month limit does not apply. All active Macs in this mode must use that verified account. The license cannot automatically move to another iCloud account.
License details: Settings → License shows License type: iCloud or Standalone. Standalone Paddle licenses also show a balance such as 3/4 activations left. This counts new Macs remaining in the rolling year, not simultaneous free slots. Expand Activation history to see known Macs, their last recorded date and whether they remain active. Other Macs appear by a short opaque ID. Older dates may mark when tracking began; earlier iCloud activations and deactivation dates were not retained. Details refresh online when you open the page.
Moving to another Mac: Choose Deactivate This Mac… to free an active slot in either mode. For Standalone, deactivation does not reset annual history. To change between Standalone and iCloud linking, deactivate first, then activate in the chosen mode.

The normal app saves the license in Keychain. Activation and periodic checks need internet. Linked licenses also verify the iCloud account at launch and when it changes; if verification is unavailable, access may wait for a connection. iCloud linking verifies your account only: it does not upload or synchronize indexes, messages or emails.

Renewals extend the same license key. Manage payment details, cancel future renewals or request a refund through the link in your Paddle receipt or Paddle buyer support. Cancellation keeps access through the paid period unless the payment is refunded or reversed. Terms · Refund policy.

If activation is refused, check the key, subscription status, connection and device allowance. For an iCloud mismatch, sign into the account already linked to the license. Use Feedback with the error message and purchase reference; do not send your full key or card details.

App updates

Settings → Updates checks for a newer compatible app release. You can disable the check at launch. Choose Download and Install…, then confirm Install and Relaunch. The app verifies the signed update and keeps your settings and local indexes. Finish or stop indexing and exports first.

Older versions without the installer need one manual download: open the new DMG and drag iSift to Applications, replacing the old copy. Later releases can install from within the app.

The Update buttons beside Messages and Mail refresh searchable data. They do not download or install a new app version.

Troubleshooting

Mail results are missing

Check that Apple Mail has downloaded the emails, the intended addresses are checked in Settings → Mail, and file access is available. For indexed search, choose Update after new mail arrives or account choices change.

Search needs attention

Click the warning to see the Mail items with issues in the main window. Some may be partly searchable; others were not indexed. Missing local content, unreadable files, unsupported text or processing limits can reduce coverage. This is a report of the index or latest direct search, not just the current keywords.

Indexing was interrupted

Choose Continue Indexing to reuse saved progress. Update and Continue verify changed or deleted files before finishing; Reindex is the separate full-rebuild action.

Search is slow

Try an encrypted index for large collections. Add words, people or dates to narrow results; wildcard patterns starting with a star may need more scanning. Keep the index current with Update.